David Moyes doesn’t do flair and style – we can sort of see that at this point. Well maybe just in really small doses.

Shinji Kagawa made a rare appearance for Manchester United in the Champions League against Real Sociedad, though obviously not in his favoured position behind the striker. If Jurgen Klopp’s heart was broken last season when Kagawa saw limited playing time throughout the campaign, the Dortmund manager is probably thrashing around in a windowless room at the thought of Moyes’ ineptitude.
Well maybe that’s harsh. After all, United are winning and have creativity in abundance from the midfield, so much so that Marouane Fellaini is now playing in a hugely unfamiliar role alongside Michael Carrick.

But it’s interesting that another Dortmund star, and one who was so instrumental in their Bundesliga title success, has moved on and failed to settle. Nuri Sahin, like Kagawa, saw his Real Madrid career interrupted by injury, failing to ever establish himself as the alternative to Xabi Alonso. The fact that the Spanish club have bought so extravagantly over the past summer means that Sahin’s loan spell at Dortmund is likely to be made permanent at some point.

Kagawa, too, could have found himself back in the Bundesliga this past summer, with Dortmund reportedly offering to take the Japanese international on loan. Clearly the rejection meant Moyes saw some use for him, though you have to wonder whether he knows quite what to do with him yet.

It’s arguably a problem that is far from the United manager’s making. Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie are the two first-choice attackers, whether that be as a strike partnership or with Rooney playing as the No.10. That leaves Kagawa out of the equation, and for all his creative qualities, he’s not really a player who can sit in alongside Carrick.

The Danny Welbeck selection is something we should have seen coming. The England international offers industry as a way of balancing the attacking instincts of the other forwards. From a wide position, Welbeck has also offered more than the wholly ineffectual Ashley Young. The thing is Welbeck’s offering can be very rigid in comparison to Kagawa, who allows for the option to interchange with others.

The problem Kagawa faces is that he isn’t David Moyes’ signing. It’s always going to be the case that someone or even a handful of players are going to see themselves pushed to the side following the arrival of a new manager. The problem, from a United perspective, is that Kagawa seems to offer the team everything that they’re crying out for. Even if he operates from the left flank, Kagawa has always drifted inside, either to assist others or to arrive in the box as the most advanced forward.

How long can we use the “it’s still early” line? We’re approaching November and one of United’s most talented players looks without direction and purpose. To say he’s undervalued is a term to be used only for Moyes’ point of view. The club, surely, know what they have in the Japanese international, and the fact that they refused to let him leave during the summer shows that there was possibly a thought for the reaction from supporters at losing someone who could play for most teams around Europe.

You’d have to hope that Kagawa’s situation improves going into January. If not, the unpredictability and indecisiveness of the January window may be the only thing that saves United from selling a player of his ability. Come the summer, most would fully expect Kagawa to permanently cut his ties from Old Trafford.

Written by Thomas Hallett

This blog does not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of footytube or its partners.

What was the point of this article? It seems to condemn the fact Kagawa isn't used but simultaneously condone the actions of Moyes. United, like most of the top European teams right now operate with a lone striker with attacking midfielders, our most prolific of which is Rooney, playing in the number 10 role. It would be ridiculous to replace him right now as he's consistently been united's best player. Don't get me wrong, I've long thought it was ludicrous Kagawa wasn't in the starting eleven or at least featuring more regularly (including last season with Ferguson in charge) but we have to look at his performances for united. He's shown flashes of the brilliance he had at Dortmund which saw him land several individual accolades yet he hasn't shown enough to force his way into the team. He played well in the second half against Sociedad but if we're honest he was absent in the first half. That's the story of his united career. He can be great, but all too often he fades into the background. He's not been anywhere near as good as Rooney so can't get the number 10 and in my opinion he doesn't track back enough or work hard enough to warrant taking Welbeck's place right now. Having said that I am a huge Kagawa fan. I think he's suffering from a lack of match practice and I think he can only get better. He can have a big future at united but ultimately it is up to him to show what he can do and why he deserves to stay, rather than complaining about why he isn't being played

Last season he scored a hat-trick against Norwich then the very next game was left out of the squad altogether. Really says everything you need to know. I don't know what some people expect from him. To score for fun from the bench? Maybe some people expect him to play the wing like Ronaldo in the 15 minutes of out-of-position game time he sometimes gets.... Maybe the injury he had last season was bad timing but the only reason he's not "match fit" is because he's already spent a season on the bench behind largely inferior players (Rooney aside). Even in the freaking Carling Cup he struggled for game time! You can't honestly call yourself a 'Kagawa fan' and go on to excuse this absolute circus. The cards are stacked against him now. Anything short of consecutive multiple-goal games while coming on as a second-half substitute will be brushed aside as him "not having done enough".

"Not anywhere near as good as Rooney" you say? And you base that judgement on what? The handful of 60-minute appearances on the wing? The comment about him not tracking back enough is especially absurd. Why? Because it's irrelevant. Even in Dortmund he was never the one to be putting in tackles in the defensive third. It's not in his job description. If you had wanted a central midfielder who would also track back and defend then you should have just left him with us! Buy a player, then stick him in an unfamiliar position and bench him on the pretext of him not maintaining the same level of performance. The English are an odd breed

Sir you've made a lot of sense really the player was bought and we knew he wasn't the type to track back so it's not now that he shall be forced to do so, ofc it's good if he can do it but then again no one will expect RVP to track back ball even if he don't do it. On a side note I thought he done well enough lately while playing on the right flank even though this may not be his most favourite position I thought he did much better than the likes or young, valencia heck welbeck on the flanks. I really hope he can get more playing time

Sir you've made a lot of sense really the player was bought and we knew he wasn't the type to track back so it's not now that he shall be forced to do so, ofc it's good if he can do it but then again no one will expect RVP to track back ball even if he don't do it. On a side note I thought he done well enough lately while playing on the right flank even though this may not be his most favourite position I thought he did much better than the likes or young, valencia heck welbeck on the flanks. I really hope he can get more playing time

Sir you've made a lot of sense really the player was bought and we knew he wasn't the type to track back so it's not now that he shall be forced to do so, ofc it's good if he can do it but then again no one will expect RVP to track back ball even if he don't do it. On a side note I thought he done well enough lately while playing on the right flank even though this may not be his most favourite position I thought he did much better than the likes or young, valencia heck welbeck on the flanks. I really hope he can get more playing time

Sir you've made a lot of sense really the player was bought and we knew he wasn't the type to track back so it's not now that he shall be forced to do so, ofc it's good if he can do it but then again no one will expect RVP to track back ball even if he don't do it. On a side note I thought he done well enough lately while playing on the right flank even though this may not be his most favourite position I thought he did much better than the likes or young, valencia heck welbeck on the flanks. I really hope he can get more playing time

Sir you've made a lot of sense really the player was bought and we knew he wasn't the type to track back so it's not now that he shall be forced to do so, ofc it's good if he can do it but then again no one will expect RVP to track back ball even if he don't do it. On a side note I thought he done well enough lately while playing on the right flank even though this may not be his most favourite position I thought he did much better than the likes or young, valencia heck welbeck on the flanks. I really hope he can get more playing time

Completely agree with the fact that kagawa is being wasted. And honestly I'm not too impressed with David moyes so far. Having said that it was always going to be a supremely difficult job to follow in the footsteps off fergie and so far most things he has done okay. What has been surprising has been the public pursuit of all those midfielders in the summer and as a result public failure to acquire them. The nani contact extension and the overpaying for fellaini seemed to be more "something has to be done and someone has to be signed" as opposed to are they the right players for united. I don't think either are.

As for kagawa, that's another amazing story. Every game he starts united seem to perform and get a result. Okay most games he starts. Why not start more? Young dives a bit too much unlike ronaldo isn't even close to being in the same league. valencia patchy, nani is improving a little but still not consistent enough to wing for united. Considering the position he is in with mid table I don't know why moyes doesn't play zaha and januzai on the wings with rooney and kagawa behind van persie and carrick and/or another holding mid behind them.... Give the kids a chance the experienced guys haven't done the job so far.

Kagawa may not be an automatic start for united but he should be much higher up in the pecking order then he is. He started in the champions league- united won. He started against hull united won. agreed he wasn't the sole reason why they won but he does have an impact and he's a bloody good player.

Play him moyes and experiment. United need to buy another midfielder and one may be 2 defenders as it is in the summer (if they wanna push for the title) or next year (when they will be pushing for the title in davids second season in charge). So use this time now to experiment and see who he wants still at united. Young anderson valencia should all be looking over their shoulders and kagawa zaha januzai should now be the future and be given the chances.

Just do it moyes because the established players just are not clicking until now. Maybe the injection of youth and inexperience can be just what united need and just what the more established players need as a kick in the pants. So far moyes has shown he is willing to change things but he seems to simply rotate the established guys. Bring on the kinds and lets see what happens !